Sound reproducing system



April 10, 1951 w. J. FRANTZ souNn REPRODUCING SYSTEM Filed Dec, 4, 1945 atented pr. l0, i951 SOUND REBRoDUciNG SYSTEM Walter J; Frantz; Princeton, N. Jl., assigner to Radio ACo*rlioaltio'n of America, a "corporation of Delaware Application`.Dece niher 4, 1945,.,S\erial;N:, 632,725

2 Claims. (Cl. 179-10051) :My present invention relates generally to transducer systems of anixnproved type, and more Vspecifically to a r ecord reproducer system employing highfrequencyoscillations.

`An important object of myrpresent invention Sisto provide a carrier modulating system which .essentially comprises a transmission line of a predetermined electrical length provided with a modulating reactive impedanceY as the terminating element, there being provided a source of high frequency oscillations at the inputr of the Yline thereby'to transmitwaves along the line, and the modulating impedance being variable to cause the waves to be reflected ata variable angle back alongthe line to a pair of output terminals from which there is derived the resultant of the transmitted and reected waves in the form of amplitude modulated high frequency waves.

Another important object of my invention is to provide a method of reproducing sound Waves Vwhich includes the steps of transmitting high fre quency waves along a transmission line of a predetermined electrical length, and causing rthe transmitted Waves to be reflected fromthe end of `the line by a terminating reactance whose magnitude is varied in accordance with the sound Waves, and extracting from a predetermined point on the line amplitude modulated Waves which are produced by the combination of `the transmitted and reected waves.

Another object of this invention is to Yprovide a sound record reproducing system which utilizes a capacity type of pickup device, the system consisting of an ultra-high frequency oscillator transmitting waves of a predeterminedfrequency along a transmission line, thecapacity pickup device functioning as a termination at the Yreceiving end of the transmission line, and there being provided a detector at the input end of the transmission line for detecting amplitude modulation oscillations whereby the detector output is of relatively high output level and high fidelity.

Another object of this invention is to provide a phonograph system which utilizes a capacity type of pickup device, a high frequency oscillator and a simple peak voltage-diode detector.

Still other objects of my invention areto improve generally the efficiency and reliability .of record reproducers, and more especiallyto provide high frequency record reproducing systems which are not only economical to manufacture and assemble, but are adapted to occupy a minimum of space.

y' Other features and advantages of myinvenand" l cipleV ofthe inventionf Ving Yof u my invention.

`tion will bestbeunderstoodby reference to the .following description, taken'in connection with the drawing,` in which IliaveI 'indicated a 'circuit "organization whereby my invention 'may be carried into effect. In'the drawing:

Figfl shows circuit details of an embodiment of the invention, certain parts 'being'schemati Fig. 2 is a schematic representation of the prinfReferring now"tothe accompanying drawing, Whereinl'ikelreference numerals in the different l lgures indicate' similarelements, Vthere is `shown 'to reproduce sound records of any suitabletype. The usual tone arm for the pickup and stylus 'in' Fig.. 1 'the''circuit'diagram of a System adapted isv not shown. Those skilled'in the kart of phonograph construction are'fully aware of the manner of constructingthe tone arm, turntable, and associated parts thereof. Accordingly, only so much of the mechanical elements are described hereinl as are essential to a proper understand- The pickup--device consists of a reactive'elementwhose reactance is varied in response todisplacements of a stylus or needlelv as-itfo1lows-the undulations of a Yrecord d groove, Y' The reactiveelement specifically is a condenser'C consisting-of a mobile electrode and a stator, orxe'd, electrode 3. VThe stylus I is vmechanicallycoupled to the mobile lelectrode 2 in any suitable manner. By way of example, capacity C may be provided by a condenser of 'the ribbon type disclosed and claimed in U. S.

Patent-No." 2,376,456, granted May 22, 1945, to Chester Mfsinnett --Howeven my.invention is in no way restricted to a particular-construction -of capacity pickup device.

The-stylus l isadapted to scan, or ride, the sound-representative grooves offa suitable sound record' 4 asthelatter is rotatedion a turntablel 5. The vibration-of the stylus I causes corresponding vibration-of lelectrode Znthereby to varythe capacity-'vofv condenser C in a` corresponding manner. A`My invention isnotlimited to `condenser .C being a-r'ecord pickup device, since the electrode 2 could be varied `by the diaphragm `of a microphone. --F'urfthen ythe .mobile electrode 2r could be 'displaced in response to any physicalchange thereby to cause anelectrical. indicationY at the utilizationl circuit( 4 .In general, the. letter C may denote anysu'itable modulatingl reactance;

iIn accordance `-vviitl'ilv my invention;` the electrodes-Zand '3 are coupled or connected to respective conductorsoffa transmissionline of apredetermined electrical length. For example, conductor 'l is connected at one end to electrode 2, while conductor 8 at the corresponding end is connected to electrode 3. The conductors 1, 8 may be provided by a co-axial cable, wherein conductor 8 is a grounded sheath. The electrode 3 is, then, at ground potential.

'i'ne hign frequency Wave input terminals of the transmission line are located at the end of the line opposite to the end which includes the terminating reactive impedance C. The wave input end of the line consists of a resistive impedance 9 Whose magnitude is substantially equal to the impedance or' the transmission line. The upper end of resistor 9 is`connected to the conductor 1, while the lower end of the resistor is connected to ground through the pickup loop l0. The loop l may be provided by a suitably bent piece of Wire.

The loop l0 is loosely coupled by mutual inductance M to the tank circuit T of the ultrahigh frequency oscillator. The oscillator may be of any suitable and Well-known type generally employed l'or producing ultra-high frequency oscillations. My invention is not limited to any particular oscillator construction, and it is to be clearly understood that the specific ultra-high frequency oscillator circuit shown in Fig. 1 is merely illustrative of one form of oscillator circuit. For the purpose of this application it is assumed that the oscillator is producing ultraliigh frequency Waves of a predetermined frequency such as 500 megacycles (ma).

The oscillator tube Il is shown as a twin triode tube of the 6J6 type. This is a miniature tube, and it has its cathodes l2 and I3 connected in common to ground. The grids lli and l5 are connected in common to the ungrounded end of bypassed resistor I6, while the respective plates Il and I8 have positive direct current voltage applied thereto from a siutable direct current source (not shown) The tank circuit 'I consists of a pair of Lecher wires I9- and 20 Whose effective inductance is varied by a slidable conductor 2l. The +B terminal of the direct current source is -connected directly to the conductor 2|, and

through the conductors I9 and 20 to the respective plates I1 and I8. It Will be recognized that the tank circuit T may be adjusted for oscillation at 500 mc. by suitable: adjustment of conductor 2l.

In this way the high frequency waves are caused to be transmitted along the transmission line 8. The capacity device C is located atV the receiving end of the line, since it is the terminating impedance of the line. The incident waves are reflected back along the line, and at the input, or generator, end of the line there is coupled a device for responding to the resultant of the transmitted and reflected Waves. Any desired type of detector device may be utilized. For the sake of simplicity of the description the detector has been shown as a diode rectifier 22, whose cathode 23 is connected to the upper end of resistor 9. The anode 24 of the diode is connected to ground through an output load resistor 25 which is bypassed for high frequency currents by condenser 2B. Across the load resistor 25 there are produced voltage Variations which correspond to the modulating variations of the reactance C. Where the modulating variations of the reactance C are responsive to the sound grooves of a sound record 4, the condenser 2'! will take off from output resistor 25 audio frequency voltage which may be amplied in any at a variable angle.

suitable audio frequency amplifier followed by a sound reproducer, such as a loud speaker.

In Fig. 2 there is shown a generalized, or schematic, representation of the sound reproducing system depicted in Fig. 1. In Fig. 2 conductors i and 8 are shown arranged in parallel, with the modulating reactive impedance C connected across the receiving end of the transmission line. rlhe impedance is indicated as being variable thereby to cause reflection of the incident waves At the transmission, or input, end of the line the resistor 9 is shown connecting one of the input terminals to the conductor 1. while the other input terminal is connected to the conductor 8. The input ends of the conductors 'i and 8 are indicated as being adapted for connection to the response circuit for supplying it with the resultant of the input and reflected Waves. The transmitted wave is indicated by the solid vector W. The vectors R and R', shown in dash line and dotted line respectively, denote the reflected waves at different phase displacements corresponding to variations in the capacity of the modulating reactive impedance C. From Fig. 2 it is readily seen that Variations in the angle of the reflected Wave corresponding to variations of C produce variations in the resultant of the transmitted and reflected waves at the terminals of the utilizing circuit.

in addition to various illustrative constants which have been specified heretofore, it is pointed out that the load resistor` 25 may have a magnitude of 50,000 ohms; condenser 26 may have a magnitude of micromicrofarads and condenser 21 may have a value of 0.1 microfarad. There are, of course, purely illustrative constants. In designing the transmission line, the circuit designer has various factors to consider. It is not believed necessary to burden the present description with a detailed mathematical analysis of the permissible amplitude modulation of a carrier with a capacity type pickup by the reilection method. A mathematical analysis reveals that maximum sensitivity occurs when the normal or static reactance of the condenser C is equal in magnitude to the characteristic impedance of the transmission line. Also, amplitude modulation of the order of 3 percent may be produced at a, very low distortion level if the proper electrical length is chosen for the transmission line. Assuming that the capacity pickup is essentially a parallel plate condenser, the proper electrical length of the transmission line is 181/2 degrees longer than any integral multiple of a half wave length. y

Stray and fringing capacity, oscillatorloading, attenuation of the transmission line, and impedance mismatch at the sending end of the transmission line may change the relationship between the output voltage and the mechanical motion actuating the pickup condenser. Such a functional change shifts the region of best linearity requiring some other electrical length of the transmission line. It is advisable, therefore, normally to allow for functional variations by rendering the oscillator frequency tunable as by shifting the conductor 2 l.

Analysis indicated, as stated before, that 3%,

modulation of a radio frequency carrier is possible with very low distortion. The carrier level can be atleast l volt R. M. S. without appreciable oscillator loading if the 6J6 type tube, or its equivalent, is used for the oscillator tube H. For these conditions the detected audio voltage 5 across resistor 25 would be 0.03 volt R. M. S. Increasing the coupling M increases the audio output voltage, but loads the oscillator to a certain extent.

The only limitation upon the location of the circuit components With respect to the usual tone arm of a phonograph is the attenuation of the transmission line. The functional variation caused by the attenuation of 3 to 5 feet of suitable transmission line at 500 mc. is practically negligible. On lower oscillator frequencies longer lengths of transmission line are permissible.

In use, it is only necessary to place a record 4 upon turntable 5, and then place a suitable stylus l upon the record iace. As the oscillator causes waves to be transmitted along the line 7, 8 towards the modulating impedance C, the varying capacity of the pickup device will cause the waves to be reflected in variable phase relation to the incident Waves. The resultant of the transmitted and reflected waves provides an amplitude modulated carrier Wave across the circuit 9, It, and the detector 22 will derive an audio frequency voltage across resistor 25 Which is representative of the record grooves.

It is to be clearly understood that from a generic viewpoint the method disclosed herein may be practiced by varying the magnitude of the reactance C in response to any modulating signal. However, the utilizing circuit coupled to the output terminals of the line '1, B can be of any nature other than the demodulator. In general, there is provided herein a method of producing amplitude modulative carrier waves by the combination of incident and reflected Waves along a transmission line Whose terminating impedance is a variable reaotance and is located at the receiving end of the line.

While I have indicated and described a system for carrying my invention into effect, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that my invention is by no means limited to the particular organization shown and described, but that many modiiications may be made Without departing from the scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a record reproducing system for reproducing record signals recorded as signal variations on a record member; variably capacitive signal pick-up elements for cooperation With the signal variations of the record member to correspondingly vary the capacitance of the pick-up elements; high frequency energy supply structure for generating electric Waves; said capacitive pick-up elements forming a terminating part of transmission line means coupled to said supply structure for conducting the electric Waves to said pick-up elements, reflecting them at, and conducting the reflected Waves back from said pick-up elements; said reected waves having phase angle displacements Varying in accordance with the capacitive variations of the pick-up elements, and producing, at any portion of the transmission line means, signal modulated Waves corresponding to variations in amplitude oi the resultant oi the combined unrelected and relected Waves; and output structure coupled to a portion of the transmission line means remote from the pick-up elements for delivering the signal modulated waves; said transmission line means including a transmission line having a characteristic impedance; and said variably capacitive pick-up elements being connected to an end of said line and having a static reactance approximately equal in magnitude to the chai'- acteristic impedance of said line.

2. In a record reproducing system for reproducing record signals recorded a5 signal variations on a record member; variably capacitive signal pi .r-up elements for cooperation with the signal variation oi the record member to correspondingly vary the capacitance of the pick-up elements; high frequency energy supply structure for generating electric waves having a frequency of the order of 500 megacycles per second; transmission line means, including a transmission line having a characteristic impedance, said capacitatlve pick-up element being connected to an end of said line and forming a terminating part of said transmission line means and having a static reactance approximately equal in magnitude to the characteristic impedance of the transmission line; said transmission linemeans being coupled to said supply structure for conducting the electric Waves to said pick-up elements, reflecting them at, and conducting the reflected Waves back from said pick-up elements;

said transmission line means having an effective electrical length about 181/2 degreeslonger than the Wave length of the conducted waves; said reected waves having phase angle displacements varying in accordance with the capacitive variations of the pick-up elements, and producing, at any portion of the transmission line means, signal modulated Waves corresponding to variations in amplitude of the resultant of the combined unreiiected and reflected waves; and output structure coupled to a portion of the transmission line means remote from the pick-up elements, for delivering the signal modulated Waves.

WALTER J. FRANTZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the idle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,732,427 Andrews Oct. 22, 1929 2,039,405 Green May 5, 1936 2,209,541 Rust July 30, 1940 2,428,272 Evans Sept. 30, 1947 

